Vending-machine



M. B. BAIRDI VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man DEc.13.1919.

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M. B. BAIRD.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPucAUoN HLED DEc.13.1919.

Patented July 26, 1921.

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VENDING MACHINL' APPLICATION FILED 050,13, 1919.

1,385,419. Patented July 26, 1921.

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M. B. BAIRD.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED BEO-13, 1919.

1,385,419. Patemea July 26, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

MMI/6,5 Bam' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVILLE B. BAIBD, OF KANS-AS CITY, MISSOURI,` ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TOJOHN C. W. BLAND, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentea July eo, 1921.

, 'o alt w kom it may auf/town Be it known that I, MELVILLE B. BAIRD, acitizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in' the County ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulIniprovements in Vending-Machines; and I do declare the following tO bea full, clear, and exact description of the inventiou, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accoinpanying lrawings, and to theletters and figuros of reference marked thereon, which form apart ofthis specification.

This invention relates to vending machines and particularly to a machinefor vending confections, for example, chewing gum.

`One of the objects of the invention is to provide an inexpensive,easily operated vending machine so Constructed that the discharge ordelivery mechanism may be operated only upon the p'assage of a check,com or token of appropriate denomination, and means isprovided wherebythe check, coin or token constitutes the connecting link between certainpartsof the vending mechanisin to render it operative.

I have also provided means whereby a compartmental reservoir orcontainer ma be utilized and so associated with the delivery mechanismthat the various oompartments may be brought into delivery relation toenable the purohaser to obtain confections from any particularcompartment selected.

In the drawings,`

Figure I is a vertical, longitudinal, sectonal view through a vendingmachine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. II is a top plan view of the floor of the container.

Fig. III is a fragmentary plan vi ew of the base carrying the deliverymechanism.

Fig. IV is a sectional view on the line IV-IV Of Fig. III.

Fig. V is a view similarto that shown in Fig. III with the deliverymechanism shown in Osition tO discharge the confections.

`ig. VI is a side elevational view of the comjlete device.

Fig. VII isa sectional view through the delivery mechanism frame,showing the y compartment positioning pawl in eleyation. Fig.` VIII isadetail perspective view of One of the segments for the eompartmentalcontainer.

Fig. IX is a sectional view through the container spinclle and a detenttherefor.

Fifl'. X is a sectional view' on the line XM? of Fig. II.

Fig. XI is a detail perspective view. of one of the delivery slides, and

F ig. XII is a sectional view through the eoin chute.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference:

1 designates a. base shown as circular in form and provided with anannular flange 2 having a out-out portion 3 to receive a drawer 4,guided between the horizontal sills Or guides 5 and 6. The guidesorsills 5 and 6 supporta horizontal plate 7 having a slot 8 therein,across which is a stop 9,. the edges of the slot beinflr bent to formguideways 10 and 11 (Fig. in which is a coin slide 12 provided with atransverse coin-reeeiving slot 13, the length of which is greater thanthe di'ameter of the coin to be received, and the end of the slide isprovided with a digitally engageable loop: 14.- whereby the slide may begrasped to Operate it, it being understood that the loop at alltimesextends beyond the case of the base formed by the base 1 and flange 2.The slide is also provided with an Opening 15 through which theconfections may pass into` the discharge chute immediate y below theOpening and consisting of a track formed by a bent' wire 16 dischargingthrough an Opening 17 and terminating outsidethe case, as shown at 19,Fig. III. The slide 12 also carrier a swinging table or leaf 20, whichis pivoted thereto at 21V and which is provided with an Operating finger22 adapted to contact with a depending finger 23 when the slideisextended outwardly so as to uncover the Opening 15, the normal positionof the slide, however, being shown in Fig. III as forming the floor forthe opening 15 so that when the slide is in its retracted position, aconfection Or bball deposited into the Opening 15 may not pass into thedischarge chute. lWhen the slide is extended, as shown in Fig. V, thefinger 22 will have contacted with the depending finger 23 to Swing thetable 20 out of line with the Opening whereuponthe confeetion may dropinto the chute 16. The end of the slide 12 opposite to the loop 14 isprovided with an. upstanding lip Or projection 24 adapted to engage theinner edge 25 of the delivery slide 26, which consists of a plate havingupstanding'guide wings 27 and 28 and provided with an opening 29,coinciding with the Opening 15 in slide 12, the delivery slide 26 beingalso provided with a depending portion 30 at its front end to be engagedby a coin deposited in the slot 13 of slide 12, as will be explainedhereinafter.

There are a number of slides 26 carried by the floor of the containerand said container consists of a ring 31 in which is incunted aplurality of segments 32 connected to a star wheel 33 on a hollowspindle 34, there being a corresponding star wheel 35 at the upperend'of the spindle to receive the partitions 36 seated in the radialslots 37 of the segments 32. The segments are ofnovel constructionconsisting of plates bent to form the slots 37 and having radial edges38and, 39 With depending flanges 40 and 41 which rest upon the disk 42coextensive with the cross sectional area of the base and said disk isprovided with slots 43, corresponding to the slots 44 formed by adjacentsections of the segments, the edges of the slots 43 having n-bentfianges 45 and 46 which support the slide 26, as seen in Fig. X.

By reference to Fig. VIII it will be seen that the flanges 40 and 41 ofthe segments 32 are formedby bending down the portions of the sides ofthe segments at the edges thereof so that longitudinally dependingfingers 47 and 48 are formed,;which, when the segments are broughttogether, will provide the slots 44, above referred to, and the innerends'of the segments are provided With lugs 49 which engage in the slotsin the star wheel 33, to which they ma be secured in any appropriatemanner, tie Vbottoms of the slots 37 being struek out, as at 50, toengage in openings in the disk 42 whereby the disk, the segments and thespindles are formed in a. unitary Structure and the depending fingers 47and 48 constitute guide- Ways for dire'cting the confection onto theslide 26. The spindle 34, rotatable with the disk and forining part ofthe container, is inounted upon a spindle 51 rigid on plate 7, saidspindle 51 extending below the plate and serving as a guide for a rod52, which extends entirely through lit and which is connected to thecover 53 for thel container. The lower end of the rod 52 is providedwith aV right angular projecting arm 54, which is pivoted thereto andwhich may be swung in line with the rod 52 but which is adapted to lieupon a bar transversely of and carried by the drawer 4 so that when thedrawer is shoved in place, the arm 54, which swings in the direction ofmovement of the draiver, will lie upon the bar 55 so as to lock the rod52 against retraction through the hollow spindle 51 and thereby securethe cover 53 in place. VVhen the drawer is removed, however, or at leastpulled out so that the bar 55 passes outwardly beyond the rod 52, thenthe arm 54 may Swing into alinement with the rod 52, allowing the rodand H cover to be removed.

The extended end of the hollow rod or spindle 51 carries a collar 56 tosupport an expansion spring 57 which bears against the yoke-shapeddetent 58 (see Fig. IX), having upstanding arms 59 and 60 which projectthrough the plate 7 and on the ends of which are rollers 61 and 62, thelatter being adapted to engage in depressions 63 in the bottom of thedisk so that when the container is turned to permit one of the slides 26to be brought into proper coiiperative relation with the slide 12, therollers 61 and 62 will ride into opposite depressiens 63 and serve asdetents for preventing accidental turning of the container. The bottomof the disk 42 is also provided with struck-up lugs or projeetions 64near the periphery of the disk and these lugs are adapted to contactwith the projecting end 65 of a dog or detent 66 pivoted in plate 7 andhaving an end 67 normally urged into engageinent with a notch 68 of theslide 12, as elearly seen in Figs. V and VII. Therefore, when the slide12 is in its extended position, as shown in Fig. V, the dog will engagethe notch 68 and it will be iinpossible to push in the slide 12 untilthe proper compartment is brought into register with said slide and whenthis is done, one of the projections 64 will have ridden upon theportion 65 of the spring-pressed dog 66 so that it will be thrown out ofengageinent with the notch 68. Thereforc, when a coin, check or token isinserted in the eoin slot 69 and passes into the slot 13, it will resttemporarily upon the lugs 70 (see Fig. I) and the mechanism will be inproper position for Operation.

If all of the parts are properly assembled, the operator moves thecontainer about its axis until the proper compartment has been broughtopposite the delivery mechanism. The correct position of thecompartmental container is indicated as being correct when the fixedarrow head 71 is in line with one of the arrow heads 72 on theeompartinental container, as shown in Fig. VI. Having selected theparticular compartrnent from which confection is to be delivered, theoperator places a coin, check or token of proper denomination in theslot 69, permitting it to drop through the slot 13 of slide 12 so thatit will rest upon the lugs 70. Since the proper positioning of thecontainer has caused the dog 66 to move out of engagement with the slide12, the operator may then push in on the slide and since the coin isstill within the slot 13, the upper edge or upper portion of the coinwill contact With the projecting portion 30 of one of the slides 26.`The retractive movement of the slide 12 through the medium of the coin,check or token will impart an inward movement to the slide 26 so as toexpose the opening 29 to the confection, it being understood that Whenthe slides 26 are not operated by slide 12, their openings 29 will becovered by the periphery of the disk 42 and the fingers 47. When theslide 12 and slide 26 are in their innermost positions, the Opening 29Will register With the Opening 15 but the confection will not bepermitted to drop into the bottom of the casebecause the support ortable 20 will be covering the opening 15 just below the slide 12. Theoperator now imparts a pulling action to the slide 12 to reverse itsdirectional movement and as the slide 12 moves outwardly, its end 24contacts With 25 of the slide 26, pulling slide 26 with it and duringthis action, tension is released on the coin, check or token indicatedas 73 (Fig. I) so that the coin check or token drops into the drawer 4.As the outward movement of the two slides progresses, the arm 22 oftable 20 contacts with the depending finger 23 so that the table isswung upon its pivot 21 out of line with the openings lland 29 and theconfection is permitted to drop onto the delivery chute 16, it beingremoved from 17 as apparent by reference to Fig. III.

The outward movement of the slide 12 brings the notch 68 opposite theend 67 of the dog 66 but the dog will not move into contact With thenotch 68 until there is a rotative movement of the receptacle orcontainer to allow the projection 64 to move out of engagement with 65.`Therefore, the introduction of a new coin, check or token of properdenomination Will permit the slide 12 and the eomplementary members tobe operated as often as desired. Upon a slight rotative movement of thecontainer, the rojection 64 will move away from 65 and a low the dog 66to engage the notch 68 of slide 12, as above explained, so the slidecannot operate unless a compartment of the container is in position todeliver goods.

The coin slot is provided with a magnetic slug deflector 74 so that ifmagnetic slugs are introduced into the coin slot, they will be deflecteddown the chute 75 but the slug deflector forms no part of my presentinvention2 as I recognize this as being old in previously Constructedmachines.

The edge 76 of the table 20 is so disposed that When the slide 12 ismoved inwardly, the table will be swung back into position to cover theOpening 13 since the edge 76 is in the form of a cam to ride against thefinger 23 which Will move it into proper functional position.

Attention is directed to the fact that the upstanding arrow-head-shapedside guides `means to move the detent out on plate 26 and the rearwardlyinclined fingers and forwardly inclined fin ers 48 constitutedirectional elements for t e confectio-ns in the container so that theconfections or other appropriate articles mayfind their way into theopenings 15 and 29. Thus liability of clogging in the variouscompartments will be eliminated.

It will also be seen that the segments 32 may be stamped up from singlesheets of metal so that when put together, the bottom of the case willbe provided with guideways for the confections as well as seats for thepartitons.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the slide 26, andparticularly the elements 27 and 28, not only serve the purpose ofguides but also constitute agitators to agitate the confections withinthe container so as to insure the deposition of the confections into therecess preparatory toejecting them from the machine. This Will preventdanger of cavitation of the confections; that is, prevent them fromsticking together so that chambers will be formed; in which eventtheoperation of the machine would not be efi'ective in insuring anejection of a confection, even if a coin, check or token had beendeposited. This is a material advantage in a device of this class sinceit is imperative that the machine operate after each introduction of anauthorized check, coin or token into the coin slot.

What I claim and desire ters-Patent is:

1. In a vending machine, an actuating slide having an Opening, a pivotedgate carried by the slide, means for moving the gate across the openingwhen the slide is moved in one direction and away from the Opening whenthe slide is moved in another direction, and means for deliveringmaterial into said Opening.

2. In a vending machine, a sliding actuator, a delivery slide above theactuator, means for actuating the delivery slide by the actuator, adetent for engaging the actuator, and a compartmental container havingof engagement With the actuator.

3. In a vending machine, a sliding actuator, a floor above the actuator,said floor being recessed, a sliding delivery member in the floor of therecess, means for functionally engaging the actuator and slide one Withthe other, and means for guiding material into the recess.

4. In a vending machine, a single actuating mechanism, a rotatable,compartmental container above the actuating mechanism having a deliverymechanism for each compartment, a detent normally engageable With theactuating mechanism, and means for simultaneously moving the deliverymechanism of a particular compartment into to secure by Let- 4 V1,as5,41e

register' With the actuating mechanism and disengaging the detent fromthe actuating mechanism. f

5. In a vending machine, a rotatable, compartmental container, adelivery mechanism in the floor of each compartment, a single actuatingmeans below the container, means for causing registration of any one ofthe delivery mechanisms With the actuating means, and means forpreventing free rotation of the container With respect to the actuatingmeans.

6. In a vending machine, a compa-rtmental container comprising a. holloWspindle, a floor connected to said spindle and consisting of a pluralityof segments arranged edge to edge, each segment beingl formed Withdepending flanges and oppositely inclined end fingers Whereby When thesegments are connected together, a recess will be formed in the floorWith oppositely inclined ends, a slide in each recess having a deliveryopening, an actuator for the slide, means for bringing any one of theslides into alinement bWith the actuator, and partitions betWeen therecesses in the floor of the container.

7. In a vendng machine, a container comprising a rotatable memberconsisting of a spindle, segmental fioor members connected to saidspindle, each segmental fioor member having a central, longitudinalgroove, spaced depending end fingers projecting from the edges of thesegmental members, the segments being Secured together so that thespaces between the lingers and edges of the segments constituterecesses, sliding floor members for the recesses, means for guidingmaterial into the recesses, an actuator for the slides, a Partitionsupport carried by the upper end of the spindle and havingslots aliningWith the grooves in the segments, and partitions engaging the slots andthe grooves.

8. In a vending machine, a rotatable container having a hollow spindle,a hollow shaft upon which said spindle is mounted, a removable cover forsaid container, a. rod carried by the cover and extending through thehollow shaft, a hinged finger on the end of the rod beneath the end ofthe hollow shaft and adapted to assume a position at right angles to therod, and means for holding said finger in a horizontal position Wherebythe cover Will be locked to the container.

In testiniony whereof I afiix mv Signature.

MELVILLE BBAIRD

